2010 Nevada Wolf Pack Football Preview

2009 Results: 8-5, Lost Hawai’i Bowl vs. SMU

Head Coach: Chris Ault (26th year @ Nevada, 206-96-1 Overall)

Home Venue: Mackay Stadium (29,993) Reno, Nevada

2009 was a season of highs and lows for the Wolf Pack. After a shockingly disappointing 0-3 start, the Wolf Pack reeled off a smoking 8-0 run that only came to an end at the hands of eventual WAC champion Boise State on the season’s final day. Heading into the postseason, Nevada was considered one of the best bets to win their bowl game but they were absolutely rolled by SMU in the Hawai’i Bowl.

So that bears the question: Which Nevada will show up for the 2010 season? Will the team that dominated opponents on the ground hold sway or will the team that bookended the year with a 0-5 record appear instead? With an extremely veteran offense, can iconic coach Chris Ault win his first WAC Championship?

OFFENSE

Nevada had the country’s best rushing attack in 2009, piling up an average of 345 yards per game on the ground! But even with that kind of production, the Pack impressively boasted three 1,000 yard rushers, two of whom are back this year. Senior tailback Vai Taua (1,345 yards, 12 total TDs) was a 1 st Team All-WAC selection after leading the team in rushing last year. But despite his great numbers, he is not the most dangerous runner on the team.

That would be junior quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who rushed for 1,183 yards while passing for 2,052 en route to a season that produced 36 total touchdowns against only 6 interceptions! He is the most productive dual threat quarterback returning this season in the entire country and the only reason that this smooth-striding 6’6” specimen wasn’t a 1st Team All-WAC selection was the All-American season by Kellen Moore at Boise State.

But the two elite runners aren’t the only weapons on this team. Five other players scored rushing touchdowns for the Wolf Pack last year, so there are plenty of candidates to replace departed 1,000 yard rusher Luke Lippincott. Wide receiver also has a lot of talented returnees, led by Brandon Wembley (53 catches, 723 yards, 6 TDs), the WAC Freshman Offensive Player of the Year in 2009.

The only position of concern is the O-Line, which loses two All-Conference choices. However, three starters are back and the line should still be more than capable of giving Nevada’s myriad of playmakers plenty of space to run. There is no reason that this offense can’t equal or even surpass last season’s 38 points per game of production and the Wolf Pack could easily repeat as the best running team in the country.

DEFENSE

When a team has an offense that heavily favors the run, it also usually helps the defense put together a strong campaign because the offense dominates time of possession and keeps the D well rested. This was somewhat the case with Nevada last year as they held opponents to more than four points less per game compared to 2008. However, they still ceded 28 points per game so there is a lot of room for improvement.

There’s a good starting block to build with in senior Defensive End Dontay Moch (61 tackles, 6.5 sacks), who was the WAC Defensive Player of the Year. He is the foundation of a pretty strong line that was one of the highlights of spring football. The last two seasons featured a strong run D and this line should help continue that tradition. It also helps that two junior linebackers return as well and Nevada should have one of the league’s top run defenses again this fall.

Where I have some concern is in the secondary. The Wolf Pack allowed nearly 300 yards per game through the air last season to finish the year among the worst teams in the country against the pass. It was so bad that the concept of interceptions was seemingly forgotten last year. The good news is that Ault recognized defensive back as a major concern and brought in a bunch of JUCO prospects to bolster the position. As there is literally nowhere to go but up for the Pack this season through the air, I have to believe that this group will be improved. However, this will still be a liability and the otherwise stout defense could easily be undermined by a porous pass defense.

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SCHEDULE

Nevada does a good job of scheduling non-conference opponents. This season’s highlights include a visit from California and a trip to BYU in non-league play. On top of that they have to travel to improving rival UNLV, giving them three tough early opponents. In league play, the Pack travels to Hawai’i so they will be playing 13 games. However, the league game that really has the most influence is the all-important visit from Boise State late in the season that will likely decide the WAC Championship. Two years ago, it took a late Boise TD to win in Reno and this season’s Nevada team is much better, so the Wolf Pack might get their biggest national exposure of the year for this showdown and a victory would surely propel the team into the spotlight.

OUTLOOK

There are a lot of things that I like about this Nevada team. They have an absolutely dominant run game that is piloted by one of the country’s best quarterbacks. Furthermore, they have a stout front seven that should continue to frustrate opponents on the ground. While there will be times that the Wolf Pack gives up some frustrating passing plays, I think that the sheer excellence of their offense will be enough to pull out most games. In fact, I’m so confident in Nevada’s excellent rushing game that I think that they’ll take advantage of their home field against mighty Boise State and win the WAC Championship to cap off a surprising season that could propel the Pack into the most prestigious bowl game in school history. 2010 will be a banner year for Nevada.

PREDICTED RESULT: 11-2 (7-1 WAC)